T.S. Indefatigable

[Captain Kong]

Hi Indefatigable, My brother John has just told me that DAVID JONES of your Association has died, He is from Liverpool, no details yet, anyone know him??
Cheers
Brian

[Captain Kong]

Sorry about the Name of the Indy Boy who died , It was David Owen and Not David Jones.
His funeral was last Thursday
Cheers
Brian.

[Mike Weller]

I refer to Grahams recent post regarding the "tin hat " and time spent on pre sea training.As mentioned in my first ever post,I spent 16 months at the Inde.It all started at the Liverpool Sailors home in canning place,following medical,written exam and selection board,we then signed a ten pound indenture document,boarded a bus for the island of anglesey,and then your life changed.The last thing iwould wish to do is to compete with other sea schools,but the following will give you an idea of the experience.The total "ships" company numbered approx 120 boys,split into four divisions ,Raleigh.Rodney,Drake and Hood,head of each division would be a leading hand and a petty officer boy.The discipline was rigid,for trivia such as smoking the order of the day would be put on a charge and six "cuts"layed on by the chief officer.An event i was fortunate never to experience ,but witnessed the result.Finally,the follwng event which took place in the summer of 1960 is not a figment of my imagination.
We were allowed out of the building for a period of six hours on a saturday afternoon,called "liberty".Two of the boys visited Beumaris for the afternoon,and whilst sitting around the harbour decided to "borrow"" a motor launch.Eventually they were apprehended by the police and del back to the school.The whole school was ordered onto the parade ground in full dress uniform.Standing in silence we then witnessed the culprits who were ordered to stand to attention .The chief officerthen proceeded to read out the charge,then tore open their uniforms ,knocked their hats off which went rolling across the parade ground.A side drummer was summoned from the school band.The order then went out to open order march and each boy was drummed round the ranks,with the order from the captain"you are at liberty to spit or kick!!.This was 1960!!.No one spat or kicked as this was a shameful sight,the end result,both boys received six "cuts"and ordered up the driveway where their suitcases were waiting

I was there in '48/'49. 4th Division. The discipline never struck me as unduly harsh, and I was a soft boy from the South!
It was the making of me and I am proud to be an Indie Boy.

[John Davison]

Who could forget such barbarity Mike, your description of the 'drumming out' was exactly as it is scarred in my brain. I believe the charge sheet included dealing in tobacco. My apologies for not remembering you by name, I was in Rodney #78.

[John Davison]

'Does any one remember the fight one of the lads had with "Knocker White" the signals officer'

-sure do Darrell and he had been asking for it since he joined the staff some way into my stay. Fresh from the RN he was I believe, he seemed to get pleasure from bullying and the quiet guy that hung one on him was pushed to it. My impression is that 'the management' quietly 'let him go' after reviewing the situation. But then memories are never reliable.

Good to catch up with you guys here.

[John Davison]

Darrel I was there in 59-60 and my number was 92 and I was in Hood Div. You must have arrived after I left?
I was in Palm Dorm.
I remember a lad called Falkner being drummed out in the same manner as you describe. The whole place was brutal, I hated it. I can still hear Chief Derricks fist knock his hat off, while making sure at least half the force in his fist hit the lad alongside his head. Muggeridge was another Bully. Pete Davis was the only humanitarian there. He left and joined the Coastguard.
There are still a couple of Thugs from those days who I would love to meet again. Grimshaw and Charters.

The Lancashire Boys Homes made up a big percentage of "Inmates" there. The rest were paid for by local education authorities or parents.

The other thing about the place, I was always starving, food was worse than shite!

Only thing It taught me was, not to be a bully. Which is all it did. But that, and that alone stood me in good stead for my 22 years in the Royal Navy.

Yup, confirming my impressions. Caught up with Pete Davis when I joined the Coastguard (Admin) from the the Dept of Trade, survey dept 1982. Good to catch up with class of 58-60!

[j.sabourn]

Reading some of these posts re. punishment are something like out of a Dickens novel..I did 2 terms at South Shields until I was old enough to go to sea, for which I got a grant from the government so didn't have to pay anything, otherwise would not have gone as parents couldn't afford. Punishment always consisted of writing out either Article 9 or 15 the two longest Articles in the Regulations for preventing collisions at sea. There was a black market in these two written out sheets as some used to write out and sell, the instructors must have known by the handwriting, but must have at least realized someone was benefitting in knowledge. In those days you were expected to be able to recite word for word the 31 Articles, I never really had a problem learning these especially Rules 9 and 15 the number of times I had written them out. The number of times you had to write out depended on the severity of the wrong doing, writing out Art. 9, 10 times was quite common. Cheers John S.

[Ivan Cloherty]

.I did 2 terms at South Shields until I was old enough to go to sea, for which I got a grant from the government so didn't have to pay anything, otherwise would not have gone as parents couldn't afford.

Jeez ! a grant !!, you were lucky, my parents were in same position as yours, but no grants available, I had to borrow £400 from Missions to Seamen to kit myself out for PSNC requirements, it was lent on the provision that I paid it back and not my parents. Starting off on £6 per month and leaving my mum a £2. 6 pence (old money) allotment didn't leave me much. Took me nearly six years to pay that money back, never borrowed money again from anyone in my lifetime (so far) except for a mortgage; it was a good lesson. If we wanted something we saved up for it, and if we couldn't afford it, we didn't have it

Ah writing out Rules 9 and 15, must have been the standard fare for all pre-sea schools

[j.sabourn]

Should have said Local Government before they changed the County Borders. As regards my parents being in the same position as yours wouldn't know. Didn't think anyone was poorer than us. There again one never knows perhaps we were rich by others standards. Cheers John S. PS Ivan you must have been well paid to pay off at 6 pounds a month, I only got 75 pounds a year, would have only left me with 3 pounds a year for all the Dens of iniquity I was dragged into screaming... Cheers JS

[j.sabourn]

Just read your post again Ivan. I was referring to school fees and schooling for the 8 months or whatever it was. Regards kitting out, I worked ashore after leaving school the following day actually full time for a butcher. Previous to this had worked after school for a shoe repairer and of course the customary paper rounds, most of this went into the family coffers. Any further money which was required for what the shipowner in his wisdom said you required was done through money lenders, which at the time was known as the prudential loans. Like you I don't agree with borrowing money, I also don't like loaning out except to family which find increasingly is described as a loan but know will never see again, I am not a scrooge, but giveaways were few and far between. Always pay cash for the booze. Hope your new year went ok Cheers JS.